A New Birth of Freedom
by AlanSchezar
Summary: Set several years after the events of "Legacy", the last of my Gargoyles fanfiction series. The secret of the gargoyles' existence is out; the world is thrust toward a momentous decision. An extraordinary assembly is convened, and on this night, an unlikely orator will deliver an address that will change the course of history.


There was an excited murmur of voices filling the hall which penetrated through the heavy oak doors of the antechamber. Goliath was buzzing with nervous excitement, pacing back and forth across the small room, his hands clasped behind his back. He was dressed in a charcoal gray suit, starched white shirt and blue striped silk tie with a silver tie bar, all tailored specifically for him courtesy of David Xanatos; after all, one does not address a joint session of the US congress in a loincloth.

Nearby, looking far more collected and calm, stood Lieutenant Elisa Maza of the NYPD. She was dressed in her crisply pressed ceremonial uniform, complete with white gloves and forage cap, and adorned by several medals earned as a result of her bravery and service over the years. She smiled to herself as she watched her love pace back and forth nervously, then stepped forward, blocking his path.

"Hey, just take a deep breath and relax, big guy! You're going to do just fine. You were born to do this, Goliath; I can't think of anyone else that could possibly do a better job than you will."

He couldn't help but smile a little at that. Taking her in his arms, he enfolded her in his wings and kissed her gently, "Thank you, my love. It's just that there is so much at stake…"

"I know," she said with a playful smile, "That's how I know you're going to knock em dead; you always come through when the chips are down. The others know it too, that's why you were chosen to be the spokesperson for your entire race."

They embraced in silence for a moment, their love a fortress against any tempest that life could throw at them. At length, they released their embrace just as an aide opened the door leading into the assembly hall, "Mr. Goliath, Lieutenant Maza, the Speaker is ready for you now, please come in."

They followed the aide through the double oak doors and into the large congress hall; it was an incredible sight that met them. Every single seat of the house was filled, both the senate and the congress members in attendance. As Goliath and Elisa entered, a significant number of them gasped and more than a few actually rose from their seats in astonishment at seeing him in the flesh. Though the existence of the gargoyles had ceased to be a secret for some time, there were still precious few human beings who had ever seen one in person. Elisa stood to the side of the stage, just beside the door that led to the antechamber they had come from, while Goliath ascended the steps to the waiting podium.

A hush fell over the entire assembly and the last few members resumed their seats, having recovered from the initial shock, as Goliath caped his wings and took his place behind the podium. He placed his notes down, grasped the edges of the top, and momentarily closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to clear his mind before he gazed out over the expectant, curious, ambivalent faces of the US legislature.

"Mister Speaker; ladies and gentlemen of the United States Congress," he began, his deep baritone easily reaching the outer walls, "Allow me to begin by expressing my most heartfelt thanks to you for convening this extraordinary joint session. As you are all aware, it would have been quite impossible for me to attend any regular session of congress, and indeed if I were brought here during regular hours you would find my speech extremely boring and my manner significantly less animated than I hope to be tonight." At this, a chuckle rippled through the assembly; they had been presented with briefing packages at the start of the current proceedings outlining the facts about gargoyle biology and history, so they were well aware of the reason they were all sitting in the Hall of Congress at ten p.m. instead of at home with their families. Goliath smiled; it buoyed his confidence to see that they had responded well to his little jest, and he was emboldened to continue.

"I come before you tonight to plead with you from the very depths of my heart not to compromise, not to alter the principles of this great nation, but to affirm them. I come from a faraway place and time: a dark world of ignorance, violence, and death, but a world where nonetheless, for a time, my people lived in peace and brotherhood with yours. Sadly that time was ended all too soon when my people were betrayed by the humans whom we had sworn to protect, and I am very sorry to say, by one of our own." He paused briefly, and a disquieted murmur rippled over the crowd and died away.

"By the working of sorcery, my clan and I were put under a stone sleep for a thousand years until we were awakened over a decade ago by my friend, Mr. David Xanatos. We awoke to find ourselves aliens and strangers in a strange new land. Yet despite the bewildering unfamiliarity of this new world, I found acceptance, friendship…even love…among many of the people I met."

An even louder murmur of surprise went out over the crowd, followed by a brief flurry of whispers and surprised looks. He chanced a brief glance Elisa; her face was glowing with a radiant smile and he thought he could just see a shimmer of wetness in her eyes.

Goliath continued, "Since that time I have had many adventures the telling of which would take more time than I have tonight; I have seen the best and the worst of both the human and the gargoyle races, but most importantly, I have had the privilege of witnessing the true soul of this nation. It is a soul, I am very glad to say, in which the flames of freedom and justice still burn fervently, and it is in this knowledge that I am able to come before you tonight and make my plea to you.

I know that to many of you my face is a terrible and fearsome thing, and that many of you are suspicious of the strength and abilities with which my people are endowed. Though it has caused me profound personal loss, I can understand why so many of your people have shunned and persecuted us, but I ask you tonight to look beyond the outward appearance, to overlook the differences between us and see rather those things which we share in common.

Have we not eyes? Have we not hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, warmed and cooled by the same summer and winter as a human is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?"

Elisa could tell that Goliath was swept up now in the feeling of the moment; gone was any trace of uncertainty in his manner, any nervousness in the tips of his fingers. He stood tall, his penetrating gaze sweeping over the faces of the legislators gathered before him; she knew he was pleading with those big dark eyes of his, and she could tell by the reaction of the crowd that it was working. They were transfixed as he continued his address.

"Through all my years, all the places I have seen, the people whom I have met, and the things I have done, this one lesson again and again returns to me; humans and gargoyles are profoundly more similar than they are different," he gestured as he spoke, opening his big broad hands to them in entreaty as he continued.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the existence of the gargoyles is no longer a secret, and the eyes of the entire world are fixed on you tonight; the world is waiting to see what the United States of America will do with the reality of my people's existence. Make no mistake; whatever you decide, the world will never be the same. We stand on the threshold of a new world, and do not doubt for a moment that the decision you make tonight will go far in shaping that future world our children and grandchildren will inhabit. History has placed a golden opportunity in your hands; now is the time for this nation to show to all the world that the United States is not the hypocritical, shallow, decadent Babylon her enemies accuse her of being, but in truth she is, and always has been, the greatest bastion of liberty and justice the world has ever known.

I humbly implore you to remain true to the flame of justice that burns in the heart of this great nation, to stand up for freedom and equality under the law, and in the spirit of the principles that this country has always stood for, to ratify the 28th amendment of the United States Constitution. Demonstrate tonight, in the sight of the entire world, that freedom and justice truly reign here, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, both human and gargoyle, shall never, ever perish from the face of this earth."

A moment of stunned silence had descended over the hall of congress, but it lasted only briefly before the first claps of applause began. Before long, several members began to rise to their feet and the applause became louder and more fervent. In the span of a minute, every single member of the congress had risen to a standing ovation and the uproarious applause was almost deafening. Elisa dashed to Goliath's side, whipping off her forage cap and throwing her arms around him, tears streaming down her face. He wrapped her in his arms and smiled, feeling from the hotness in his cheeks that he must be blushing. He could have sworn he heard a holler of approval from somewhere in the crowd when Elisa had hugged him.

"You did it, Goliath! You really did it!" she whispered, nuzzling against his chest for a moment before drawing back. She wiped her eyes with a smile of mild embarrassment and a soft chuckle, then grasped his hands in hers and looked up at him with love and admiration filling her eyes. He smiled back, giving her hands a gentle squeeze, the ardent passion and love in his eyes just as plain. He turned to the congress, who were still on their feet applauding furiously, and gave a polite and humble bow before turning to depart hand in hand with Elisa.

The roar of the applause began to fade as they strolled together down the corridor toward the exit, their hands still entwined as they walked. Elisa snugged her forage cap back on her head and glanced up at her lover, "The amendment is also packaged with a bill proposing to grant citizenship to all of you and any other gargoyles currently resident in the US. Judging by that crowd in there, you're very soon going to be a citizen of these United States! What do you think you'll do first once you're all legal and above board?" She smiled playfully at him, the joy in her eyes irrepressible.

"I know exactly what I'm going to do…" he said cryptically, unable to suppress is own broad smile.

"Oh yeah? What's that, go to Disneyland?"

"No," he said, stopping in the middle of the corridor. Elisa took a few more steps before turning to regard him with a quizzical tilt of her head.

As she watched, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black box. Elisa's hand shot to her mouth and her eyes widened as tears began to well up in them. He knelt down, opening the box and revealing a beautiful diamond ring with an elegant platinum band.

"I'm going to marry you, Elisa Maza."

Her response was without words, and yet was more eloquent than any words could ever have been; she threw herself into his arms, tightly wrapping hers around his powerful neck, and kissing him with all the passionate fervor and love she possessed in her whole being.

END


End file.
